Clean Water Blog

Here is your chance to “get close to nature” and help the environment. Stearns County Parks needs volunteers to help control European buckthorn, and invasive shrub, in Rockville County Park and Nature Preserve, Stearns County.

Help is needed all Saturdays in October between 2 pm and 4 pm. Volunteers are asked to meet at the metal shed at the corner of Sauk River Road and Glacier Road in Rockville County Park . 

October is a good time to control buckthorn. It is easier to identify in October because it still has its green leaves whereas most other plants have dropped their leaves. Also the various bugs are mostly gone and the stinging nettle has mostly died back.

Why is buckthorn such a problem?

1. Out-competes native plants for nutrients, light, and moisture
2. Degrades wildlife habitat
3. Threatens the future of forests, wetlands, prairies, and other natural habitats
4. Contributes to erosion by shading out other plants that grow on the forest floor
5. Serves as host to other pests, such as crown rust fungus and soybean aphid

For more information go to http://co.stearns.mn.us/Community/CountyCalendar/vw/3/ItemID/678/d/20111001

 Or call John or Linda Peck at 685-3365 or Stearns County Parks at 255-6172

Information provided by the Xerces Society newsletter 

How many times recently have you walked into your garden and felt a strand of silk across your face? Or spotted a spider running across the family room floor as you watch the TV news? The end of summer is a time when spiders seem more abundant in many parts of North America, and can be a great time to observe these magnificent creatures spinning webs, catching prey, or even mating! 

One reason for spiders appearing more obvious now is that they’ve been growing all summer, and the spiders that are around are just bigger and easier to spot. The spiders we see in webs are typically females, feeding to strengthen themselves for egg laying.

Different species of spiders spin distinctly shaped webs, and you can tell by the design what type of spider lives in the web. Orb-weavers, such as the commonly encountered cross spider and the black and yellow garden spider, create a classic spiral like in Charlotte’s Web (though without the writing). House spiders construct a sheet like web leading to a corner hideaway and many cobweb weavers make a tangle of threads over vegetation.

Not all spiders live in webs. Crab spiders are sit-and-wait predators, hiding in flowers for a bee, fly, or butterfly to alight. Many other spiders are free-roaming hunters, using their excellent eyesight to find and track prey. Wolf spiders have long legs for a speedy chase. Jumping spiders have short, powerful legs that can launch them great distances to capture other insects These spiders do not weave a web to trap insects, although they may use silk for other things. Wolf spiders, for instance, carry their eggs in a silk case and jumping spiders spin a safety line as they leap, in case the gap is too large and they fall.

This is also the time of year when male spiders go in search of a mate. These are often the ones that cross your carpet. Males look like they have a pair of boxing gloves in front of their face. These are the spider’s sensory palps, which in males have bulbous ends; on females, the palps are the same thickness from base to tip. Sadly, there is a great level of ignorance about spiders and they are generally reviled despite being highly beneficial creatures. A typical house and garden may support seventy or eighty species of spiders, who eat insects including garden pests. For information about the wonder of spiders, read the article “Tiny Predators in Your Backyard,” by Greta Binford, from the spring 2008 issue of Wings.We hope you enjoy watching the spiders around your home!Visit these links to learn more about spiders:

• Spider Myths - Rod Crawford of the University of Washington debunks common spider myths.  
• Spider web gallery - A gallery of various spider web constructions from the University of Basel in Switzerland.  
• American Arachnological Society - Information on spiders and other arachnids. 

Video of a peacock jumping spider courtship - A spectacular video found on YouTube.   

A Drug Take-Back Box was installed in the lobby of the Stearns County Law Enforcement Center last April. 

Anyone can drop off unwanted prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, or any other type of unwanted drug and remain anonymous. 

Since the box was installed there have been over 400 pounds of drugs collected!   This means 400 pounds of drugs that will not get flushed down toilets or poured down sinks, so they will be staying out of the water we drink and the homes of fish and frogs!

For more details, go to http://co.stearns.mn.us/LawPublicSafety/CommunityOutreach/MedicationDropBox

“Communicating with All Minnesotans about Water Resources”

Jenny Winkelman, Education and Outreach Manager. (MWMO)

Light breakfast provided. Free. RSVP to lark_weller@nps.gov.

The 2010 Census results prove what we already know: Minnesota’s population continues to grow more diverse. Yet, many communities have difficulty communicating with their diverse residents about environmental information in meaningful ways—and a failure to connect effectively with all Minnesotans on these issues likely will have negative consequences for the next generation of natural resources management.

As Education and Outreach Manager for the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO), Jenny Winkelman spearheaded a special partnership with the City of Minneapolis to better understand how the Hmong community accesses and shares information, to understand the Hmong cultural context and priorities for water resource issues, and to develop a customized Water Education Plan. One outcome of this project was the creation of a DVD, “Dej Tus Kab Ke - The Nature of Water,” to increase environmental literacy and water stewardship in Minneapolis’ Southeast Asian communities. The DVD is about water and pollution prevention, with features on raingardens, household hazardous waste, and watersheds. It is presented in five spoken languages and two written languages. Copies of the DVD will be distributed at the meeting.

Jenny also works with partners to develop future leadership in the MWMO’s diverse communities. One example is the Mississippi River Green Team, a conservation-focused youth development program for urban teenagers—the next generation of river stewards and coworkers. These experiences have given Jenny important insights about how to involve diverse and young people in water resources issues. Come learn how we can more effectively connect with all members of the public about our work!

LOCATION:

*September 23: St. Cloud City Council Chambers–400-2nd Street South, St. Cloud, 56301.

The Mississippi River Forum is made possible by the generous support of the Mississippi River Fund and the McKnight Foundation.

The focus of the 2011 Clean Water Summit is on Trees, Roots, and Their Role in Stormwater Management .  Featured speakers include:  Mark Seeley from the University of MN; David Nowak from the US Forest Service;  Gary Johnson from the University of Minnesota.  Concurrent sessions will be:

1.  Performance, Design and Engineering-the Technical Aspect of Trees in Stormwater Management

2.  Policy and Planning-Tree Inventory, Assessment and Protection

There will also be a Tree City Panel and panelists will share perspectives on the use of trees to help achieve clean water goals and sustainable communities. 

Last, but not least, there will be an update from state agencies on funding for trees. 

Trees will be given to all participations (courtesy of the MN Nursery and Landscape Association)

Registration for the conference is only $60, including lunch!

The event will take place at the MN Landscape Arboretum on September 8, 2011 from 8:30-5:00.

To register for this event, please go to the MN Landscape Arboretum’s web site at: http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/greeninfrastructureforcleanwater.aspx

It has long been debated what the economic value of trees are.  Yes, they increase the aesthetic beauty of your home, keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter and play a necessary role in stormwater management.  Yet with all of these society values it is hard to find the economic contributions to your property and your community.  A new article published by the Alliance for Community Trees (ACT)  summarizes these valuable numbers and highlights a growing trend in the community of Charleston, SC….A homeowner was fined for the community value when they cut down an oak tree. 

To read the article click on this link:  http://actrees.org/site/news/newsroom/city_street_trees_pay_their_way.php?tag=news

For those of you solely interested in the numbers here they are:

* $35 - Approximate cost to maintain a street tree per year (pruning, planting, stump grinding, irrigation, administration, sidewalk and other infrastructure repairs, etc.)
* $47 - Approximate value of a street tree, including:
* $11 - value of its intercepting stormwater, helping the city comply with federal stormwater rules.
* $8 - Value of energy saving (both electricity and natural gas) saved because of its shade.
* $0.50 - Value of carbon dioxide and other pollutants removed, released or avoided by trees.
* $26 - Value of aesthetics, property value increase and other less tangible improvements.
* $1.50 - Value of carbon dioxide sequestration and emission reductions, minus carbon dioxide released during decomposition.

A new study out of Germany found that vegetated treatment systems, such as ditches planted with dense vegetation and wetlands, can cut pesticide concentrations in down stream waters by more than 70%.  For communities, like the City of St. Cloud, that rely on the Mississippi River as its drinking water source, this is an important finding.  With the adoption of stream buffers it dramatically improves the drinking water sources for its residents. 

Click link to read the full article:  https://www.crops.org/story/2011/aug/tue/vegetated-treatment-systems-reduce-pesticides-in-surface-waters

The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District can assist with cost share funding to plant vegetative treatment systems.  Access their website for more information:  http://www.stearnscountyswcd.net/

As the weather warms each year, monarch butterflies make their way north, to their homes all around the Country.  These tiny colorful creatures travel up to 100 miles a day for up to two months to return to our region. While they are here, they rely our gardens to feed and produce the next generation of monarchs.  And then, when the weather begins to cool, the monarchs will head back down south, where the weather remains warm. Unfortunately, the loss of habitat and erratic climate patterns are impacting the homes they rely on and their only food source, milkweed.

To help support and sustain Monarch Buterfly populations create a butterfly garden in your yard.  This garden will attract all kinds of beneficial insects, as well as other butterfly species.  For more informaiton to help you design your garden visit:

• http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Garden-for-Wildlife/Gardening-Tips/How-to-Attract-Butterflies-to-Your-Garden.aspx?CFID=21417648&CFTOKEN=84488fd271732ac8-B9F75C96-5056-A84B-C3B0936CE5566BF3
•  http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/dg6711e.html